Shogi
by GoldenGrimoire
Summary: Sakura's first solo mission as a jounin: succeed where Konoha's intelligence unit has failed by getting Akatsuki prisoner Akasuna no Sasori to talk, no matter what it takes. Sasori/Sakura. Lemony content, dark themes.


**30_lemons prompts:** #04. Thrill of the Forbidden, or, "No, You Must Not!...Here, Let Me Help You." and #18. Lockup, or, "Drop the Soap, Baby."**  
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**Warnings: **Explicit sexual content, masturbation, mindgames, dark themes

**Author's Notes:**Originally written for the 30_lemons challenge prompt community on Live Journal. I'm a little behind on my fics, but I've finally got this first chapter out.

Reviews are always appreciated!

* * *

Even when dying, impaled by a pair of swords, Sasori had always looked proud and controlled to Sakura. Now, however, slumped down in the shackles that bound him to the wall, cloakless, disheveled, and damaged, he looked completely broken and helpless.

And with his body covered by a considerable number of seals that cut off his ability to use chakra and any weapons he might still have built in, he really was as helpless as he looked.

As she approached him, her eyes swept briefly over this cell where she'd be spending a good portion of her own time for the foreseeable future. It was clean but sparse, the only furnishings a bunk that was pushed up against the bare stone walls in one corner, primitive bathroom amenities in the other, and a table and two chairs in the center of the room. The lights overhead were harsh, their glare casting his limp body into stark relief, shadows so deep they were almost black.

"Akasuna no Sasori," Sakura said once she was just outside of arm's reach.

Sasori barely raised his head in acknowledgment, his expression obscured by red hair and shadows.

"Oh, it's you," he rasped. "It's been quite a while, little girl."

This was her first solo mission as a jounin; she was determined to succeed where Ibiki and his intelligence group had failed. Sasori had told her about Kabuto back then, after all, so there was a chance he'd be more willing to talk to her over the others.

They were unobserved. Sasori was incredibly guarded by nature, so Tsunade and Ibiki had determined that Sakura might have more success in getting information out of him if she faced him alone. She'd been the most nervous about this particular aspect of her mission; the last time she'd faced him, she'd always had Chiyo with her, and his attention had been primarily focused on his grandmother.

However, the weakened state he appeared to be in bolstered her confidence. She could handle this. Tsunade had been right, there was nothing to be afraid of here.

She didn't acknowledge his reply. "I don't have to explain why I'm here, I'm sure you already know."

Sakura had defeated Sasori back then, and he was now restrained and practically helpless. He was at a complete disadvantage, and she underscored it by using a hard tone just as she'd planned. If she pressed him hard enough, she was sure he'd be cowed into answering her. She didn't wait for him to respond; instead, she began to recite the questions she'd been given.

"Tell me about your activities for the past six years since your assumed death."

He lowered his head.

"Which other Akatsuki members have survived or been revived?"

Silence.

"Where is your primary base located?"

Being forceful wasn't getting Sakura anywhere; Sasori was ignoring her rather than showing any sign that he was intimidated. She switched to her alternate plan, the friendly approach. She forced a smile and shifted to a gentler tone.

"Sasori, you might be an enemy, but I'm not enjoying this situation either. You're only making things harder on yourself by not answering me."

Her voice softened further.

"I have a lot of influence with the Hokage. If you tell me what the Akatsuki's current plans are for Uzumaki Naruto, I can make things much easier for you here."

He still said nothing. She attempted to force down her frustration and keep her tone gentle.

"Well, maybe you don't know what those plans are, but you could tell me who your current leader is. Is it Nagato? Is he also alive?"

It was as though she wasn't even in the room at all.

Sakura was losing patience. "How many—"

"The questions you're asking aren't what you want to know at all, little girl," Sasori said, his voice weak. "What you really want to know is how I survived."

When he looked up to meet her eyes, however, his gaze was just as intense as it had always been, and his face was perfectly impassive.

"I'll tell you, if you unshackle me."

"You aren't in any position to make bargains," she snapped. "I'm the one in charge here."

"That's very true. I'm completely helpless like this, after all. You're in complete control of the situation here."

He smirked slightly. "But, it's still a reasonable bargain, isn't it? You want information out of me, don't you?"

She hesitated. "Why should I believe you?"

"Don't be insulting," he said, his eyes narrowing. "I'm a man of my word. If you're going to be like this, perhaps I should retract my offer."

"No, wait," Sakura said quickly. She hadn't been able to get a thing out of Sasori with her own questioning, but this was an opening. She had to take the chance.

"So you'll agree to my bargain then?" His expression and voice gave away nothing.

"I...yes. I agree."

Brief indecision over whether this really was the right course of action made her pause before she finally moved to unshackle him; as soon as he was freed, he slumped down to the floor. Instinctively she moved to help him, but he slapped her hands away.

"Don't touch me," he growled and struggled to his feet.

Sasori limped to the table that sat in the center of the room. Seeing someone so proud, even if he was an enemy, reduced to this state made pity start to well up within Sakura; she shook her head to banish those soft-hearted notions. He was the last person she should be feeling any sympathy for, especially considering the situation.

"Have a seat," he said and stared over his shoulder at her, "and I'll tell you."

She sat down across from him cautiously.

"It was rather simple, really," he said. "The puppet that you thought was myself was one I was controlling from a distance. Apparently, both you and the old hag found it quite convincing."

"But we didn't sense your chakra strings, so how did you control it?" she asked, frowning.

"For the sake of efficiency I developed a technique of generating chakra threads that use as little energy as possible," Sasori said. "It's what I use for controlling my own body. Because they use so little chakra, they're incredibly difficult to detect, but are relatively weak so they're impractical for use in extended combat. However, they were enough to suffice for that particular performance."

He smirked. "And before you ask, the chakra seal the old hag used only prevents someone within the boundaries of the seal from using their chakra, it doesn't affect chakra being poured into the area from the outside."

Sakura paused. "Why?"

"Because I didn't see the purpose in sacrificing more of my work for the sake of a diversion, much less my own life.

"As for what I did after our battle? Well, that wasn't part of our bargain," he said, and smirked.

"I'm afraid you won't have much to show for your efforts today, little girl."

She scowled and moved to leave, frustrated.

"However...perhaps we could arrange another bargain."

Even if the information Sasori had given Sakura wasn't particularly useful, he did still volunteer it. If he was willing to give her more...

She sat back down. She should at least listen to his proposal; at worst, she could turn it down if it was unreasonable.

"What is it?"

"Well, little girl," he said. "I get terribly bored here all day with nothing to do."

He sent a chill down her spine when he met her gaze once more. "But, perhaps you could alleviate my boredom."

"How?" she said, wary.

"So suspicious. Really, it's not as though I can do anything to you in this state," Sasori said and leaned forwards over the table. "How about this? We can play a game together."

Sakura blinked. "A game?"

"Yes."

The piercing stare he directed her way made her nervous, but she refused to look away and show any weakness.

"What kind of game?"

After a moment of thought, Sasori smirked once again. "How about shogi? You know how to play, I presume. If not, I could teach you."

"I don't want to learn anything from you," she blurted out.

Wait. It had been very difficult for Sakura to figure out ways to get Sasori to form a positive attachment to her. She couldn't ply him with better or more food or drink, or more comfortable living conditions; he didn't feel any physical discomfort. But, his apparent need to keep his mind occupied might just be something she could take advantage of.

She caught herself, and forced another smile. "I mean, I already do know how to play."

He didn't react at all to her defiant admission. "Excellent. Here's another bargain for you then. Bring me a shogi board, and play with me when you visit. In exchange, I'll tell you something about myself every time we play together."

Sakura considered Sasori's offer. Shogi seemed innocent enough, and if he was willing to talk about himself, she might just learn something useful. It also must mean he really was predisposed to her, and, if she was careful, she could get him to reveal Akatsuki secrets.

Besides, it was better than nothing. Her initial plans had been failures, so she wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by.

"...Alright, I'll do it."

* * * * *

Really, this was all far easier than Sasori had anticipated. Shogi was the perfect game for deciphering exactly how the brat's mind worked. It didn't take him long before he was able to determine how she would play from the very first move. He was soon able to subtly manipulate the games between them, setting up the winner from the very beginning, and she never seemed to notice that he was guiding her into moving exactly how he wanted.

He also was able to study her reactions carefully during their play sessions, and learned to read her emotional states, to read whether she was lying or telling the truth, to catalog exactly what all her body language indicated. She really was one of the worst kunoichi he'd ever met when it came to hiding her emotions; it was rather disgraceful, but her complete inability to hide her intentions was so much the better for him.

Once he'd gathered enough information, he'd move on to the next phase of his game. There was only one thing stopping him from continuing.

Sasori had noticed something odd about the way the brat acted around him at times, but he wasn't sure what it meant. He'd have to be certain of what that particular factor was before he proceeded with his plans to toy with her mind.

Perhaps if she was pushed into a more extreme situation, whatever it was about her reactions to him that eluded his understanding would be clearly revealed...

* * * * *

These shogi games had been working out better than Sakura had hoped. After three weeks since their first meeting, she was sure she was coming to understand the way Sasori thought more, enough that she was winning against him more often. Those late nights spent reading shogi strategy guides appeared to be paying off.

Their progress had been slow, but steady. Although Sakura's reports didn't contain much in the way of useful information, Tsunade had approved of her progress in forming a bond with him, and encouraged her to continue developing it.

He'd taken to telling her things even when she didn't win a game. It was surreal; at times, he could be almost pleasant to talk to. He seemed to be more at ease around her, after she had relaxed her own guard to encourage him to be more open. There was little risk in doing so, since he couldn't really do anything to her in his current state.

Although, just from looking at Sasori now where he sat across from her, he seemed more like Sakura had remembered him, impassive and self-assured. Even his limp was gone; he'd explained that it had merely been some debris from the fight during his capture that had blocked the joint rather than actual damage, and it had been trivial to repair, even without tools.

She studied the board carefully, until her attention was briefly captured by his hand moving into her field of view as he took his turn. Slender, almost delicate fingers picked up a pawn and moved it forwards before softly clicking it down onto the board in its new location; even this simple movement was suffused with the same measured grace that every other gesture he made had. It never failed to have an oddly distracting effect on her.

She blinked and refocused on the game. He'd made just the move she was hoping he would, and she made her counter-move without hesitation.

"You've improved," Sasori said and pointed to where Sakura had placed a silver general. "You've blocked my advance here quite effectively, well done."

She smiled slightly and raised her head to look at him. "I've been studying strategy."

"Hmm, how diligent of you." He smirked. "Since you've been doing so well, I'll tell you a bit of a secret."

Sasori's amusement faded, and the piercing look he gave Sakura then made her insides twist in knots.

"Your superiors were right to send you," he said, his eyes unreadable as he shifted his king. "I am very interested in you, little girl. I have been, ever since we first met."

He'd caught her off guard.

His gaze intensified. "I suppose it's rather fortunate that I've been given this opportunity to get closer to you, because I've been attempting to find a way to do so for some time."

She stood up, uncomfortable about this abrupt shift in his demeanor, and turned her back to him. She was thankful that it was already almost time for her to leave, as she didn't know what to make of his behavior or his words. "I'm flattered, but I think we're finished for the day."

"No, I don't think so," Sasori said, and the cold tone of his voice gave Sakura pause. "I certainly wasn't finished."

In an instant, he was behind her, and before she had a chance to react he'd plucked a kunai from her thigh pouch and pressed it against her throat; his other hand quickly grasped her wrist and twisted her arm behind her back.

"How careless you've gotten, to bring your weapons in with you," he said. "Perhaps you've developed a mistaken impression of me from these games. Let this serve as a little reminder of just who it is that you're dealing with, little girl."

Normally, Sakura would have already used her strength to disarm Sasori and twist away. But she froze when she felt him press his body closer to hers, and felt his breath against her ear when he brought his lips close.

"Now then, as I was about to say before you so rudely turned your back on me, it's true that I'm very interested in you, but I assure you that my intentions towards you remain unchanged," he said. "I'll tell you what my plans are for you, since you seem to have forgotten."

He pulled her slightly closer, and she felt her heart flutter in her chest. Was it fear?

"I'm going to make you the new centerpiece of my collection," Sasori continued. "You will be my puppet, and I intend to make use of you however I see fit."

No. Sakura wasn't afraid of him; instead, she felt confused. She'd defeated him before and could easily overpower him. So what was stopping her from breaking free from his grip?

"You've grown into quite a lovely woman, and it makes me want you as my puppet even more. You must surely be more powerful and skilled now than you were when we fought, making you even more worthy of the privilege of serving me. I'll preserve your beauty for the ages."

She swallowed; even if the kunai's blade was only lightly grazing against her skin, she felt as if she wasn't able to get nearly enough air.

"But I won't do so right away. You're going to suffer so very much at my hands for everything you've done, I promise you."

Sakura could feel Sasori's chest against her arm; the surface of his body was extremely smooth and cool to the touch. His breath, however, was warm as it flowed over her ear and the sensitive skin of her throat.

"I intend to punish you first, little girl," he said softly, silkily. "I'll make you beg for mercy."

Her legs trembled. The threats that he murmured in such an intimate tone in her ear were making her shiver, but not from fear. The images that were flooding her mind were of a very different nature than what he probably intended.

His voice dropped to a whisper. "You'll acknowledge me as your master once I'm finished with you."

Presumably Sasori had spoken in such a tone so he would sound more fearsome, but it only made Sakura squirm in his grasp and bite her lip as her imagination continued to run wild.

"S-stop," she gasped. She wasn't sure if she was telling him to stop, or herself.

"...You're reacting strangely." His confusion was clear in his voice. "Why aren't you fighting against me when I'm threatening you? You haven't even tried to get away from me. Are you really so afraid of me that you can't move?"

"I'm not afraid of you."

Sasori fell silent for a long moment.

"Then why, little girl, are you trembling?" he said softly.

His thumb caressed Sakura's wrist, and she shivered. The skin of her wrist tingled from the contact.

"Why is your pulse racing, if you're not afraid?"

Sasori eased the kunai blade away from Sakura's throat, and flipped it so it pointed away from her. He then slowly ran a finger over her cheek. "Your cheek is so warm. Your face must be red."

"I..."

A whimper escaped her lips when his fingertips caressed her throat; they then began to travel downwards, drifting over her arm and then raking lightly down her side and over her hip. He continued sliding his hand down until he reached her thigh; she felt an aching warmth build in her abdomen when his fingers traced over the skin along the hem of her shorts. For a moment, she thought he was going to slip his hand inwards, and upwards, and reflexively parted her thighs ever so slightly.

This...she should stop this.

Instead, Sasori's fingers moved outwards towards her still-open kunai pouch. Sakura heard the sound of metal sliding against metal as he slowly slipped the kunai he held into her pouch; the suggestive action made the muscles deep within her clench. He released his grip on her wrist, her arm falling limply to her side, and his arm snaked around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

He closed her kunai pouch and his hand once again ghosted over her thigh, his fingers trailing back along the hem of her shorts, creeping inwards. She felt hyper-aware of the feel of his cool fingers caressing her skin, his breath tickling her neck, and the arm around her waist that had crept up under her jounin vest and was pressing her hips back; she could feel his body against hers, but it suddenly wasn't nearly close enough, and so she began to lean back into him.

This was wrong. She needed to stop this.

"Hmm, I think we've both learned something very interesting today," Sasori murmured; his voice had a smoother, more seductive edge than it did before. "Don't you agree, Sakura?"

A shock rocketed straight down her body and ended between her legs when his lips brushed against her ear.

Sakura panicked.

"No!" She used her enhanced strength to force herself away from him. "You're wrong, you pervert."

"Oh? Am I now?" Sasori said, and smirked. The look he gave her made her think of a cat watching a caged bird. "My mistake."

She was far too confused and flustered to face him any longer, and chose to retreat.

"Still intent on leaving so soon?" he called after her. "But we haven't even finished our game yet. Ah well, we can always pick up where we left off tomorrow."

* * * * *

That night, Sakura tossed and turned in bed. She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened that afternoon. She didn't understand why she had reacted so strongly to Sasori, when she'd never felt a hint of such a thing before.

Even now, just thinking about the feel of his body against hers and the light, teasing caresses of his fingers was making an aching, pulsing heat begin to build within her body once again and slowly travel downwards to settle between her legs. Just remembering the dark promises he had whispered at first, and then the seductive purr he'd used when he'd noticed he was having an effect on her was making her panties damp, and she bit her lip and rubbed her thighs together as that needy ache began to grow.

What other things would Sasori say to her in that soft voice? If he intended to keep her alive before making her his puppet, to punish her, what exactly would he even do to her?

Would he ever want to make use of her body as something other than a weapon?

Sasori's face and voice were both very attractive, but the feel of his fingers gliding over her skin was what Sakura's mind kept turning back to. During their battle years ago, she had been intently focused on his hands, attempting to read every movement so that she could dodge or counter his attacks. It was only much later, well after their battle, that she had reflected on just how graceful and nimble every movement of his hands had been, and had truly appreciated what a formidable enemy he really was. Acknowledging his skills was certainly innocent enough, and was nothing to worry about, but now her mind began to turn to other ways that such dexterity could be put to use.

Fingers that moved with such precision with the intent to kill could surely caress with just as much skill, could surely glide over her body with the lightest of touches and tease her gently in all the places that she was the most sensitive. And as his hands would roam over her body, he would press himself against her from behind just as he had this afternoon, but without any barriers of fabric between them; his lips would brush against her ear and he would chuckle softly and whisper seductive words that would excite her mind just as much as his fingers excited her body.

Sakura squirmed at the thought of Sasori ordering her to remove her clothing in that low and silky voice, of him making her slip his cloak off, of him telling her to run her hands over his body.

Suddenly, she wanted to know what his whole body felt like; she parted her lips and took a shuddering breath as she remembered how cool and smooth his hand had felt when he'd grasped her, and that brief moment when he'd slid his thumb over the sensitive skin of her wrist in a way that had sent shivers down her spine.

She imagined running her fingertips all over his body, sliding over its smooth surface, imagined that he'd lean down and kiss her with lips that would be as hot as his breath had been, that he'd lick the seam of her lips, and she'd part them without hesitation so he could slide his tongue into her mouth and forcefully explore and taste at his leisure, because she wanted to know what he tasted like too.

The images that flooded her mind were simply too much, and with a whimper, Sakura could no longer resist sliding her hands over her body. She slipped her hands up her nightgown and shivered when she touched her own bare skin; she imagined it was Sasori's fingers gliding over her body instead of her own, and she sighed under those light caresses. Her hands trailed up her abdomen, sliding the soft cotton garment up along with it, until her trembling fingertips brushed against the undersides of her breasts. She bit her lip again, suppressing a moan as her fingers glided up over her breasts and pushed the nightgown completely aside in the process. The cool night air would have hardened her nipples, if they were not already in that state from just the thought of him pinching and flicking and rolling them between his fingers. She arched her back with a gasp when her own fingers wrapped around her nipples and mirrored what she had been fantasizing he was doing to her.

Sakura could almost hear Sasori speaking softly in her ear once more, but this time, rather than threatening her, he was telling her how beautiful her body was under his hands. Every inch of her tingled with a delicious warmth as her excitement grew, and it wasn't long before she slipped a hand away from her breast to send it ghosting downwards, just as teasingly as she pictured he would. The words she was imagining him murmuring to her now grew more intense and heated, dark, erotic whispers of exactly what sort of perverse punishments he had in mind for her; he would make her beg, but not for mercy.

She squirmed, feverish and sweating from the twisted fantasies that filled her mind, and from the hand that she was sliding down into her panties. She parted her legs to make it easier to slip her hand down and caress her folds. Her fingers lightly glided in slow circles around her clit, sliding easily over her slicked skin; she whimpered from picturing his longer, more graceful fingers teasing her rather than her own. She'd never gotten this wet before just from touching herself, and when she slipped a finger deep inside, she couldn't contain herself anymore and was no longer simply imagining he was the one sliding in and out of her instead, but desperately wishing it was. She moaned out his name, her voice pleading and utterly submissive, hungry for more.

And it was that total surrender to him, and picturing the wicked and triumphant grin he would have on his face if he could have seen and heard it that made her eyes snap open in shock.

What in the world was she thinking, giving in to this? Feeling this much desire, for _him_?

Sakura pulled her hands away from her body and yanked down her nightgown awkwardly. This was wrong; feeling attraction towards a prisoner was utterly forbidden. She was practically betraying the village by indulging in these desires for her enemy. And worst of all, Sasori knew that she was attracted to him; giving in to these impulses would only make the situation more difficult to handle.

But...

Maybe...maybe she could use this to her advantage. The shogi games had been one way to try and form a bond with him that seemed to be having a little success, but she needed more.

Sasori might not need to eat or drink, and didn't suffer any physical discomfort, but maybe there were still other needs that Sakura could take advantage of. He was still a man, even if his body was artificial, he had to be; the caresses, the tone of voice he'd used, the way he'd kissed her ear. He had to still possesses those kinds of desires if he'd done those things, didn't he?

Maybe she could exploit those needs. She was a kunoichi, after all, even if she had only the most cursory training in this particular area purely for the sake of tradition.

Tsunade had told Sakura that she could use her discretion, that she was authorized to use whatever means she saw fit to get Sasori to talk. Any means. That had to mean that she could...

She felt a thrill of anticipation that she told herself had nothing to do with the desire she was attempting to suppress; she was only feeling excitement over the prospect of making a major breakthrough in her information gathering mission.

Sakura could do this. She was a jounin. She was the Hokage's apprentice. There wasn't any challenge that she had ever attempted to take on that she had not overcome with resolve and perseverance. This wasn't any different. She was going into this with her eyes completely open; she knew what she was getting herself into. Any personal feelings she may have had about the issue were irrelevant; she'd never let them get in the way of her missions before, she wouldn't let them get in the way now.

Besides, she would be in complete control, after all. Sasori was a prisoner. He couldn't do anything to her without her consent, and it wasn't as if she was going to let him actually do anything; just a bit of sweet talk to make him more comfortable around her, that's all. That he knew about her attraction to him would just make it more convincing.

She would have to be very careful with how she proceeded from this point. She had to be certain that he was receptive, and she had to make sure that she let him take the initiative, so he wouldn't suspect that she was intending to use any connection between them deliberately to her advantage.

It might be best not to mention the day's incidents or this potential approach in her reports just yet. Tsunade might make a fuss and pull Sakura out of the mission unless she had results to back herself up with. Tsunade was like a second mother to her, and could be just as protective when it came to these kinds of things. However, Sakura was an adult kunoichi and was sure she could handle this on her own; she didn't want overprotective feelings by her shishou getting in the way of her task.

She'd get Sasori to talk. Her resolve strengthened, she turned over onto her side and attempted to suppress her arousal and fall asleep.

However, it took a far longer time than Sakura expected for that desperate heat between her legs to fade, and every so often, a hint of dark and seductive words seemed to whisper in her ears.

* * * * *

Perfect, absolutely perfect.

Sasori relaxed on his bunk, surprisingly at ease for someone who was being held prisoner, but his spirits were quite high thanks to the events of that afternoon.

He'd wanted to push the brat by threatening her, to see how she would react, and had discovered something rather unexpected.

Blushing, shallow breathing, trembling, the uncertainty in her voice, the racing of her pulse that he could feel in her wrist, the way she'd frantically torn herself away from him when he'd kissed her ear. It was clear that she was attracted to him, and very strongly at that.

In fact, Sasori had been rather pleasantly surprised at just how strong an attraction it was. It took hardly any effort at all to coax such an extreme reaction out of her.

He'd been desperate for a diversion. For someone like him, who was constantly observing, cataloging, and analyzing, being trapped within this cell without much in the way of mental stimulation was pure torture. He was fortunate his captors were too dense to see that this was perhaps the only avenue of weakness they could exploit that might have gradually worn down his resolve enough to get him to talk.

That was until the brat showed up, however. She was clearly sent to him to try to win his trust and get him to form an attachment to her so that he'd reveal Akatsuki secrets. She was probably chosen because he'd told her about Kabuto on a rare whim.

Unfortunately for her, Sasori had already played this game before—from the captor's side. She also revealed far too much of her inner thoughts to him to be effective at manipulation.

He'd merely been planning on playing with the brat's mind for his amusement, but now that he knew she was drawn to him, he had different ideas on what to do with her. Perhaps he could turn the tables and see if he could ensnare her instead; it had been some time since he'd last broken someone. He was quite bored, after all, since he wasn't permitted to attend to his work, and it definitely didn't hurt that she had become an attractive woman over the years. He smirked as he considered the possibilities of just how far he could lure her in.

If Sasori's captors wouldn't allow him to create his art in the usual way, he'd just have to settle for making use of the raw materials they did provide him with. Crafting the first living puppet for his collection certainly would be an agreeable pastime, and possibly even provide the means for his escape.


End file.
